These are the BFFs, partners in crime, powerful couples, and general groups of awesome people!

My List:

1. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Like the host of this meme, this pair is first on my list. I read these stories in high school, loving the way the doctor and the detective solved crimes together. On my first real date, a boy took me to see a play of the The Hound of The Baskervilles at the Ballard Mill Theater. It was the perfect first date.

2. Jena and Gogu from Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier. Wildwood Dancing is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Jena is one of the dancing sisters and Gogu is her best friend, a pet frog who is frustrated by his physical inability to help her. There are many cute moments.

3. Fiona and Nick from The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. They succeed because of their friendship in a society that would otherwise crush them because of their gender and sexuality. I get teary just thinking about it.

4.Minnie and Celia from The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The strained working relationship between this black maid and her bimbo employer develops into a wonderful and sometimes comic friendship. These two have a scene that is absolutely hysterical–but I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t read The Help yet. I’ll just say that one should be very afraid when these two team up. Minnie and Celia are one of the many reasons I loved this novel.

5. Howl and Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle. This wizard and his cursed housekeeper’s relationship is filled with misunderstandings and frustrations. I love how Sophie stops fearing Howl and putting up with his magical mood swings. They certainly need each other.

6. Maisie Dobbs and Billy Beale from the Maisie Dobbs series. The friendship between this detective and her assistant is much like the series as a whole: sensitive and understated.

7. Jacky Faber and Higgins from the Bloody Jack series. Do I ever make a “top ten” list without including Jacky Faber? Higgins is a butler/father figure/co-conspirator/friend to Jacky. He has her back, time and again. Sometimes I wish I had a Higgins!

8. Jane and Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. These two sisters survive the embarrassment of their dysfunctional family because of each other. My sister is also a best friend. Once she bought my a magnet that pretty much sums up our relationship: “Sisters by chance, friends by choice.”

9. Shaggy and Scooby-Doo. I’m a mom, so I spend a lot of time reading children’s books. I loved Shaggy and Scooby-Doo as a kid, and I’m glad that they are popular with my daughter too. These two space cases inadvertently solve most of the crimes, though Velma has to provide the explanations and conclusion.

10. Frodo and Samwise from The Lord of the Rings. I have to admit, I haven’t read Tolkien’s trilogy; I’ve only watched the movies. In the films, Frodo wouldn’t be able to complete his quest without Samwise to keep him focused. Such brave little hobbits! I felt so frightened for them every time they were on screen. I definitely need to read the novels in the future!